Energy News Digest for July 27, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bonneville power to up rates by 7 percent – Clallam PUD
• Bonneville Power to boost rates in October – N Wasco PUD
• Rate increase may be ahead – Grays Harbor County PUD
• Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Operations Extended
• Centralia Looks to Collect Old, Unpaid Utility Bills
• Frank Chopp: Nuclear Power Will Rise Again
• Oregon LNG Sues Port of Astoria over Lease
• Alaska - Homer Electric Association Coal Plant Part Ways
• U.S. Electric Grid Needs Major Overhaul
• California - Energy Firms Help Pay for State Regulators' Far-Flung Trips
• China: Four Die as Landslide Destroys Dam Project
• New Technology Improves Salmon Passage at Hydropower Dams
• Think Pink Salmon
• Colville Tribes to Get New Salmon Hatchery
• PNNL Biologist Tells All He Knows About Fish
• Op/Ed - A New Twist in Dam Removal on the Snake River
• A Hydroelectric Future Faces A Fish Predicament
• Op/Ed - Déjà Vu on the Columbia: In Defense of the Wild
• Crusader Targets Drivers Who Clobber Birds On the Beach
• Capitol Lake - Only Bats Solid on Lake vs. Estuary Question
• Governor Gregoire Won't Lift Kittitas County Well Ban
• Algae Restricts Water Flow In Whatcom County
• Nine Mile Falls Dam Safety Restrictions Lifted
• Marbled Murrelet May Keep Pacific County Wind Farm from Getting Off the Ground
• Ebbs and Flows of Wind Power Stress the Northwest Grid
• Wild Horse Wind Farm Expansion, Adding Turbines and Revenue
• European Wind Lobby Distances Itself from UK Turbine Factory Occupation
• Hydropower Conference Set For Spokane Next Week
• Kentucky - Electric-generating barges sought for Ohio River
• Colorado - Solar Customers Fuming Over Proposed Fee
• Food Waste Helps Power Wastewater Plant
• Audit Finds Wasted Energy, Money at DOE's Buildings
• Government's Green Home Push Can Save You Money
• Three Out Of Five Would Change Electrical Consumption If Given Smart Grid Technology
• Tips for Reducing Your Home Energy Bill
• Tennessee Valley Authority Helps Pay To Make Homes Energy Efficient
• Why People Are Cool To Global Warming
• Pacific Gas And Electric Pushes To Extend Unpopular ClimateSmart
• Qwest: Remember How We Said Speed Didn't Matter? Forget That
• Qwest Plans to Double Broadband Speeds in Spokane
• Fiber-To-The-Home Installs To Grow 30 Percent A Year
• The FCC Finally Takes Off Their Rose-Colored Broadband Glasses
• The Evergreen State College Seeks Missing Money
• Boeing Drone Maker Creates Technology Jobs near Columbia River

WORD OF THE DAY

Quaff • \KWAHF\ • verb - To drink deeply

Dilbert rushed up to the bar in a frenzy and quaffed down the first frosty, cold drink he could lay hands on. His efforts were only slightly unwelcome when he discovered that the drink was a pitcher of clamato juice.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville power to up rates by 7 percent – Clallam PUD (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090724/NEWS/307249986

Bonneville Power to boost rates in October – Wasco County PUD (The Dalles Chronicle OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/07/news07-23-09-03.shtml

Rate increase may be ahead – Grays Harbor County PUD (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/07/23/local_news/doc4a68b83d1d19e346140188.txt

Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Operations Extended (Associated Press)
http://www.kxmb.com/News/411467.asp

Centralia Looks to Collect Old, Unpaid Utility Bills - Cleaning up: City Light Department Owed Almost $55,000 in ‘Sleeper Bills’ (Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/07/25/news//doc4a69ff0839fd7792936675.txt

Frank Chopp: Nuclear Power Will Rise Again (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/174610.asp

Oregon LNG Sues Port of Astoria over Lease (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10790324

Alaska - Homer Electric Association Coal Plant Part Ways (Kenai Peninsula Clarion, AK)
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/072309/new_468615020.shtml

U.S. Electric Grid Needs Major Overhaul (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE56N0HQ20090724

California - Energy Firms Help Pay for State Regulators' Far-Flung Trips (Sacramento Bee)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2056375.html

China: Four Die as Landslide Destroys Dam Project (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/world/asia/24briefs-chinadam.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

New Technology Improves Salmon Passage at Hydropower Dams (RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1726317/new_technology_improves_salmon_passage_at_hydropower_dams/

Think Pink Salmon - One of the largest pink salmon runs in recent times is about to swim through area waters, fueling 2009 “Humpy Madness’ (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090726/SPORTS/707269841/1004

Colville Tribes to Get New Salmon Hatchery (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_colville_hatchery.html?source=pimail

PNNL Biologist Tells All He Knows About Fish (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1358/story/658771.html

Seattle Times Op/Ed - A New Twist in Dam Removal on the Snake River
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009527114_lance24.html

A Hydroelectric Future Faces A Fish Predicament - As a nation looks to dams for their renewable energy possibilities, protection of salmon and other fish is an increasing concern, particularly in the Pacific Northwest (LA Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hydro-power27-2009jul27,0,2321552.story

Oregonian Op/Ed - Déjà Vu on the Columbia: In Defense of the Wild
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/07/deja_vu_on_the_columbia.html

Crusader Targets Drivers Who Clobber Birds On the Beach (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/crusader_targets_drivers_who_c.html

Capitol Lake - Only Bats Solid on Lake vs. Estuary Question (Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/921309.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Governor Gregoire Won't Lift Kittitas County Well Ban (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=192326

Algae Restricts Water Flow In Whatcom County (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/51654137.html

Nine Mile Falls Dam Safety Restrictions Lifted (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jul/24/nine-mile-falls-dam-safety-restriction-lifted/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Marbled Murrelet May Keep Pacific County Wind Farm from Getting Off the Ground (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/07/27/top_story/doc4a6bf58e28c40373155301.txt

Ebbs and Flows of Wind Power Stress the Northwest Grid (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/07/27/breaking_news/doc4a6c7df6bf5f6433661873.txt

Wild Horse Wind Farm Expansion, Adding Turbines and Revenue (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10781715

European Wind Lobby Distances Itself from UK Turbine Factory Occupation (EU Observer)
http://euobserver.com/9/28493

Hydropower Conference Set For Spokane Next Week - About 1,500 workers will meet (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jul/25/hydropower-conference-set/

Kentucky - Electric-generating barges sought for Ohio River - They're part of potential $22 million ‘green' initiative (Louisville Courier Journal, KY)
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090723/NEWS01/907230332/1008

Colorado - Solar Customers Fuming Over Proposed Fee: Monthly Xcel Charge Would Apply To Solar Users Even If They Use No Electricity (KMGH-TV, Denver, CO)
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20174458/detail.html

Food Waste Helps Power Wastewater Plant (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/23/BAS618T9N9.DTL&feed=rss.news

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Audit Finds Wasted Energy, Money at DOE's Buildings (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/24/24greenwire-audit-finds-wasted-energy-money-at-does-buildi-10606.html

Government's Green Home Push Can Save You Money (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2009534041_harney26.html

Three Out Of Five Would Change Electrical Consumption If Given Smart Grid Technology (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/x-15681-Milwaukee-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2009m7d24-Three-out-of-five-would-change-electrical-consumption-if-given-smart-grid-technology

Tips for Reducing Your Home Energy Bill (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12902923

Tennessee Valley Authority Helps Pay To Make Homes Energy Efficient (Tennessean)
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090726/NEWS01/907260360/1006/TVA+helps+pay+to+make+homes+energy+efficient

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Why People Are Cool To Global Warming (Calgary Herald, Alberta)
http://www.calgaryherald.com/people+cool+global+warming/1828561/story.html

Pacific Gas And Electric Pushes To Extend Unpopular ClimateSmart - Program that asks customers to fight global warming by paying a little extra on their electricity bills has enrolled just 31,000 people and takes far more money to run than it generates (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/26/BAKQ18SLO5.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest: Remember How We Said Speed Didn't Matter? Forget That - Those speeds we said you didn't want? Well, you want 'em. (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Remember-How-We-Said-Speed-Didnt-Matter-Forget-That-103596

Qwest Plans to Double Broadband Speeds in Spokane (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jul/24/qwest-plans-double-broadband-speeds-spokane/

Fiber-To-The-Home Installs To Grow 30 Percent A Year (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10293916-76.html

The FCC Finally Takes Off Their Rose-Colored Broadband Glasses - After a decade of bad policy based on even worse data (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/The-FCC-Finally-Takes-Off-Their-RoseColored-Broadband-Glasses-103592

GENERAL NEWS

The Evergreen State College Seeks Missing Money - Evergreen: College looks at options to recover $50,000 in student cash (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/919587.html

Boeing Drone Maker Creates Technology Jobs near Columbia River Gorge (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009538790_insitu26.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Shelton CONNECTICUT - Police Arrest 19 in Finch-Fighting Ring
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20190268/detail.html

Police: Fake Officer Pulls Over Real Officer
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20177757/detail.html

Principal Fired For Jumping On Students
http://www.kirotv.com/education/20157707/detail.html

Toupee Wearer 1, South Carolina Roller Coaster 0 - Man Says Coaster Isn't As Hair-Raising As Commercials Claim
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20156233/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhUkGIsKvn0